Included in the peats at Woodburn are the exoskeletal remains of insects, crustaceans, and mites. These remains represent the original chitin of the arthropods, with the coloration and sculptural details still intact.
Close-up of Woodburn peat with elytra (wing covers) of the chrysomelid beetle Plateumaris.
The insect remains are currently being analyzed in cooperation with Donald Schwert and Jennifer Lundberg of the Quaternary Entomology Laboratory at North Dakota State University. They report that , with respect to quanitity of chitin, Woodburn represents one of the richest sites yet discovered in North America. Remains of insects, particularly beetles (Coleoptera), are visible on almost every peat surface. The taxa are dominantly marsh-associates. One carrion-associated beetle has also been found.